Low income/hardship = favorable, unfavorable, or no effect on college admissions?

Applying to College
1

<p>I'm particularly interested in admissions to top schools like HYPSM.</p>

<p>There are three different appraisals of the situation from what I've read from around these parts. A low-income student who applies to top schools like Harvard and Yale have:</p>

<p>a) more favorable chances due to their socioeconomic status, because it shows that you overcame hardship and would increase the school's diversity.
b) more unfavorable chances due to their socioeconomic status, because given the current economic climate and the loss of a significant portion of their endowments, schools are more wary accepting students who need full aid. Even though these colleges claim to be "need blind", they are forced to consider the applicant's income with the shrinking endowments.
c) no effect on their chances due to their socioeconomic status, because colleges simply don't look at the "income" section on your college application. The admissions office and the financial aid office are not joined.</p>

<p>I look forward to your information and insight regarding this topic. Citations are encouraged.</p>

2

<p>That’s a good question. I wish I knew a definitive answer. Here are some articles (in order of publication date) about the issue: </p>

<p>[BW</a> Online | July 7, 2003 | Needed: Affirmative Action for the Poor](<a href=“Bloomberg - Are you a robot?”>Bloomberg - Are you a robot?) </p>

<p><a href=“http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ffp0621.pdf[/url]”>Error; </p>

<p><a href=“http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ff0615S.pdf[/url]”>Error; </p>

<p><a href=“http://www.tcf.org/Publications/Education/carnrose.pdf[/url]”>http://www.tcf.org/Publications/Education/carnrose.pdf&lt;/a&gt; </p>

<p><a href=“http://www.tcf.org/Publications/Education/kahlenberg-affaction.pdf[/url]”>http://www.tcf.org/Publications/Education/kahlenberg-affaction.pdf&lt;/a&gt; </p>

<p>[A</a> Thumb on the Scale | Harvard Magazine May-Jun 2005](<a href=“http://harvardmagazine.com/2005/05/a-thumb-on-the-scale.html]A”>http://harvardmagazine.com/2005/05/a-thumb-on-the-scale.html) </p>

<p>[The</a> Best Class Money Can Buy - Magazine - The Atlantic](<a href=“http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200511/financial-aid-leveraging/4]The”>http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200511/financial-aid-leveraging/4) </p>

<p>[Recruiting</a> a New Elite | The Harvard Crimson](<a href=“http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=510012]Recruiting”>http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=510012) </p>

<p>[Cost</a> Remains a Key Obstacle to College Access](<a href=“http://www.equaleducation.org/commentary.asp?opedid=1240]Cost”>http://www.equaleducation.org/commentary.asp?opedid=1240) </p>

<p><a href=“http://www.jkcf.org/assets/files/0000/0084/Achievement_Trap.pdf[/url]”>http://www.jkcf.org/assets/files/0000/0084/Achievement_Trap.pdf&lt;/a&gt; </p>

<p>[Legacies</a> of Injustice - Reason Magazine](<a href=“http://www.reason.com/news/show/123910.html]Legacies”>Legacies of Injustice)</p>

3

<p>In your opinion and personal experience, which choice (a, b, c) seems the most plausible?</p>

4

<p>A is correct, but be aware that there are many impoverished Asian students who apply to places like HPYS.</p>

5

<p>^</p>

<p>So they do take your income into account when determining admission?</p>

6

<p>Not in the sense that they look for the amount of money your family makes and gives you bonus points if it’s lower, no. But if you show in your essays and such that you’ve had hardships from low income and have surmounted them, that’s certainly an advantage.</p>

7

<p>The answer is a big, fat “it depends”. Schools need a large percentage (perhaps in the range of 50% to 80%, depending on endowment) of full pay candidates. So they do have to find plenty of them. But they also want diversity, so they want to admit candidates from lower income families. Admissions folks may not know , directly , what your family income is from the application, but they may know through other means. (This is not to say that they are sneaking about and snooping - rather that parts of your application may make your family income, high/low/middle clear.)
But, in the end, you aren’t going to change your income to change your chances, so try not to worry about it.</p>